LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Rugby League legend Greg Alexander has raised concerns regarding the NRL's decision not to penalize Shane Flanagan for his outburst towards officials after the Dragons' 20-18 loss to Canterbury.
Flanagan expressed his frustration over what he deemed "a couple of refereeing decisions that he said were 'wrong'," claiming these calls jeopardized his team's chance to reach the finals.
During the match, Flanagan criticized two controversial decisions late in the game.
He accused Jacob Kiraz of improperly handling the ball before getting to his feet and labeled the resulting penalty against Luciano Leilua for ruck interference as "outrageous." Additionally, Flanagan contended that Viliame Kikau had knocked the ball forward into Tyrell Sloan during an attempted pass, which led directly to a game-winning try by Lachlan Galvin.
In his post-match press conference, Flanagan stated, "The Luciano Leilua decision was outrageous...
you can't ball-plant...
but tonight we ball-planted and we lost the game because of it." He further emphasized his view on the decision involving Kikau, asserting, "Ever since 100 years, that's a knock-on...
it was some decisions tonight that cost us two competition points and could cost us an opportunity to play semi-finals."
Despite Flanagan's criticisms, the NRL upheld its officials' decisions, referencing video evidence that showed Leilua's actions had obstructed Kiraz from properly playing the ball.
The league also concluded that there was not enough evidence to support Flanagan's claim regarding Kikau's pass.
Alexander's questioning of the NRL's inaction highlights a growing concern about the league's stance regarding referee accountability and the implications of such precedents.